LENEXA MUNICIPAL COURT
With a population of over 50,000 residents, Lenexa is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is one of the largest cities in Johnson County. Lenexa extends as far south as 116th street and extends as far north as 75th street and is surrounded by Shawnee to the north, Olathe to the south, Overland Park to the east and Desoto to the west. Lenexa is much wider than it is tall and covers approximately 35 square miles. The Lenexa Municipal Court embodies the judicial division of the Lenexa government.
Two criteria must be met for the Lenexa Municipal Court to hear a case: (1) the alleged violation must have occurred inside the city limits of Lenexa; and (2) the violation charged is a city ordinance violation. Examples of frequently charged city ordinance violations include DUI, driving on a suspended license, marijuana possession, trespass, theft, minor in possession of alcohol, possession of drug paraphernalia and some other “code” violations. Generally, code violations deal with the maintenance and upkeep of Lenexa homes and businesses.
A fair amount of theft cases are filed in the Lenexa Municipal Court due to Lenexa’s many big box retail stores, small business retail stores and large mixed-use retail/residential areas. Since Lenexa has several major highways within its borders and a strong traffic enforcement division of the police department, a substantial amount of traffic and traffic related crimes are filed in the municipal court. Furthermore, Lenexa gives out a fair number of alcohol, drug and DUI related infractions because of the large number of bars and entertainment areas.
Courthouse: Located a couple blocks west of the intersection of 35 highway and 87th street, the Lenexa Municipal Court is surrounded by the Lenexa Police Headquarters and the Lenexa City Hall and is housed in the middle section of the Lenexa Municipal Complex. The courthouse consists of a large courtroom with seating for around 100 people, a court clerk’s office, a few small offices for probation personnel and administrative staff, a lobby with court security and a bathroom area. Additionally, the courthouse has flat screen televisions and is equipped with multimedia capabilities. Therefore, the judge has the ability to link with various correctional housing facilities in Johnson County so that defendants can be seen without having to be brought to the courthouse. When looking for an attorney to represent you here, be sure you find someone who is a well versed lawyer for Lenexa court.
The address of the Lenexa Municipal Court is: 12400 W. 87th St. Parkway Lenexa, KS 66215
Court Personnel:
Judge: One primary judge hears cases in the Lenexa Municipal Court. If the primary judge is unavailable, several pro-tem judges are available to fill in. The court does not have the ability to have cases heard in front of a jury so only the judge hears the cases. Longer dockets prove to be troublesome because Lenexa can only hear one case at a time.
The Judge in Lenexa is: Erika DeMarco
Prosecutor: The city prosecutor’s office is the division of the Lenexa City Attorney’s office that prosecutes crimes and it is attached to the Lenexa Municipal Court and is part of the Lenexa Municipal Complex. It is the responsibility of the city prosecutor’s office to make charging decisions and prosecute alleged criminal acts. If the case is appealed, the city prosecutor follows the case to District Court. Currently, Lenexa has one full time prosecutor, one part time prosecutor and a list of prosecutors that can fill in if the normal prosecutors are unavailable.
The Full-Time Prosecutor in Lenexa is: Erica Miller
Court Clerk: The court clerk’s office handles all of the administrative tasks of the Lenexa Municipal Court and occupies a large part of the first floor of the courthouse. Around six assistant court clerks work in the court clerk’s office and they keep the court’s schedule, accept monies on behalf of the court and perform other essential functions for the court.
The Court Administrator in Lenexa is: Nicole Armstrong
Court Security: Kansas courts require court security and Lenexa has court security available whenever court is in session. Lenexa Police Department supplies court security and their job is to monitor who enters the courtroom. Additionally, Lenexa has a metal detector and screening process for anyone coming into the courtroom (including lawyers). An armed bailiff keeps order inside the courtroom and a few volunteer administrative staff are present in the courtroom to notify the bailiff if there are any security problems.
Appealing from the Lenexa Municipal Court: Lenexa Municipal Court does not have the ability to provide a defendant with all the protections afforded by the United State’s Constitution because they are a court of limited jurisdiction. So, the Lenexa Municipal Court’s final decision is generally not the final word on any given case. Therefore, the defendant may appeal if he or she is not happy with the decision of the municipal court. Moreover, the defendant must appeal in a timely manner, which is defined as within 14 days of sentencing in a municipal court. The first step in the appeal process is filing a notice of appeal with the municipal court and paying an appeal bond. In order to ensure the appeal process going smoothly, you need to have an experienced lawyer for Lenexa court that understands Lenexa's specific rules and regulations.
Obtaining Discovery on a Lenexa Case: Every individual charged with a law violation in Lenexa is allowed to conduct discovery. Brady v. Maryland outlines the constitutional protections one is entitled to when it comes to discovery. According to Brady, an individual is entitled to view all evidence that the city intends to use against them at trial and all the evidence the city has or can reasonably obtain that tends to prove the individual did not commit the offense. In short, an individual can see all of the city’s evidence. In Lenexa, a defendant must follow a specific process to obtain discovery. This process includes going to the police station located in the Lenexa Municipal Court and filling out a form with the police records unit. Producing the evidence includes a small fee.
Lenexa Municipal Court Specific Information: Every court has their own rules and processes set in place with regards to different aspects of the court and Lenexa is no different. For example, Lenexa has authorized certain providers for drug and alcohol evaluations. Additionally, Lenexa has a specific provider they use for house arrest and a specific agency they use for classes, CWIP programs and driving school.
What is the actual law in Lenexa? The law varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Each city has their own laws and they may be slightly different than the State statute. Below are links to the actual text to some of the most commonly charged crimes in Lenexa Municipal Court.